Alone Together
by Lil'wystynyra
Summary: One day the pain simply becomes too much for Naruto, and the pain of being alone finally breaks him. But there is someone who cares... someone who would give up their life a thousand times over...


  
**AN:** Inspired by an evil, EVIL story where Sasuke dies, leaving Naruto broken without him. I believe it's called 'I Think I Better Leave Right Now.' But anyway, it's well written etc, but killing characters is NOT allowed!! **(-**pouts**-)** So I wrote this based on one of the lessons in life I had to learn the hard way. But unfortunately, you can't really understand it any other way. Confused? There's more confusion to come :)  
  
I recommend listening to my favourite Naruto song while reading this… It's called Sadness and Sorrow. You can download it from… #Naruto

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**Title:** Alone Together  
**Rating:** Pg for themes  
**Author: **RoAcH (aka Lil'wystynyra)

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Naruto ran, and kept running. He was running from everything, the people, the faces, the voices… the taunts, the pain. Over the past few months everything had just been building up. His head felt as though it was going to explode, and with one wrongly placed insult, it did.  
  
"Go away. You're not wanted here, why don't you just die?"  
  
He wasn't even sure who had said it. That didn't mean it didn't hurt. He was constantly taunted, insulted, put down, and then kicked when he was at his lowest. So far he'd always managed to smile, to pretend everything was okay. But it wasn't okay, and everything had come crashing down around him. Now he just needed to get away. And so he ran, and as he ran, only one thought repeated itself in his mind.  
  
_I'm alone…_

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Sasuke paused, stretching out his chakra. Earlier he'd sensed a powerful chakra moving through the forest at unbelievable speeds. So, he'd ceased his training for the night as it was already 8pm, and decided to take a look. The person had stopped now, and was standing just a few meters away. Silently, he dropped from the tree to the ground, and started towards the person he'd sensed.

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"What are you doing here, dobe?"  
  
Naruto remained still, the rise and fall of his chest, and the occasional blink his only sign of life. Sasuke stood a few feet away, staring at the blonde, waiting. Waiting for something, anything. Naruto was noisy, he was always on fire about something, yet he had not given rise to the insult of dobe, the one he was always certain to react to. It was highly unusual.  
  
The silence stretched. Naruto still did not move, not giving any sign that he had heard, or even noticed the Uchiha's presence. Though the wind swirled around him, whipping his golden hair around his face he still did not move, but sat there unflinching.  
  
"Baka, can't you tell there's a storm? What are you doing out here?"  
  
Sasuke took another step towards Naruto. He heard him sigh deeply. It was something at least. Then his lips moved, forming words, whispered words which he barely caught before they were snatched away by the wind.  
  
"Why…? Why do you care?" Another sigh. "Why me?"  
  
Shock flashed across Sasuke's eyes, before they resumed their cold unfeeling gaze.  
  
"Why do I care?" He said the words aloud, as though to check Naruto had really said them.  
  
"Yes… Why do you care."  
  
The words seemed like more of a statement, as though he wasn't really talking to the dark haired shinobi. Sasuke stared at Naruto. The blonde was beginning to scare him. It was unnatural to be so calm, it was against his boisterous nature, and yet there he was, in the middle of a storm, and for once in his life he was solemn.  
  
"Why you? Of all people? You're the cold one, the emotionless one. And yet… out of everyone… Iruka, Kakashi, Sakura, even Hinata… you seem to be the one that cares the most for me. You alone have risked your life for me, taking wounds meant for me in order to protect me. I don't understand… I thought you hated me."  
  
Sasuke blinked, before taking another step closer as Naruto's words sunk in. That's what this was all about? They were both standing outside, in the middle of an oncoming storm because Naruto didn't understand something as insignificant as that? He almost growled, before the meaning of the words truly sunk in. And he realized he didn't understand either. Yes, he'd risked life and limb for him. But _why_? Why was it that whenever he was threatened, Sasuke would always be there to protect him? He'd thought he hated the blonde too. So why did he care?  
  
"I don't know." He said softly.  
  
Naruto looked up, the first real sign that he'd actually noticed Sasuke. This time when he spoke, he looked at the dark haired boy, instead of into thin air.  
  
"You're the only one you know. Out of this whole village, you're the only one who really acknowledges me. Despite your reaction… you always listen to what I say. You're always _there_."  
  
"Baka, where else would I be."  
  
Sasuke rolled his eyes in a vain attempt to lighten the mood. A depressed Naruto frightened him. If Naruto was sad… it was impossible to contemplate. The blonde bundle of happiness was the one person he knew who could stay happy throughout anything. Anything that could make Naruto sad would be enough to break anyone else ten times over.  
Naruto's face turned away again.  
  
"I'm alone."  
  
Naruto paused, a haunted look becoming more visible on his face.  
  
"I'm always alone… and no one notices, no one understands, and no one cares."  
  
He suddenly turned back to face Sasuke,  
  
"Not even you."  
  
The words seemed to be a threat, hinting at a hidden danger. What danger, Sasuke wasn't sure. Naruto's eyes seemed to flash red with emotion, anger, hate, pain, rejection, but the strongest being loneliness. He turned away again.  
  
"Not even you…"  
  
The words came out as almost a whisper this time, and Naruto trailed off looking lost and alone. Sasuke took the final step, and stood before Naruto, centimeters away from him.  
  
"Is that what you think?"  
  
Naruto blinked.  
  
"Is that what you really think?"  
  
"You think I protected you… You think I fought for you… You think I'd die for you… Because I don't care?"  
  
Naruto blinked again, and a slow tear rolled down his face.  
  
"I gave up my dreams for _you_, for your life, once. And I'd do it again."  
  
"I'd do it again, and again, if it meant you would live. I'd do anything for that."  
  
"I don't know why I care about you, but I do."  
  
"You think you're alone because nobody cares? Well, I do. And fact of the matter is..."  
  
Sasuke took a deep breathe before he brought the last of his barriers tumbling down.  
  
"I'm alone too."  
  
Sasuke sighed deeply, exhausted by the emotions he'd just expressed. Naruto turned his face to look up at the boy before him, tears rolling freely down his face. The tears as they flowed from his eyes seemed to wash away the emotions from before, replacing the negative ones with more positive feelings.  
  
"I guess you're right."  
  
Naruto gave Sasuke a small tremulous smile, before wiping at his eyes a little. Sasuke reached out a hand, lightly laying it on the blonde's shoulder. Slowly he sat beside him, sliding the arm completely around the boy. He felt Naruto stiffen for a second, before relaxing against him, and slowly Naruto's own arm slipped around Sasuke's waist. The two boys sat there amongst the newly falling rain, sharing the warmth of friendship and love.  
  
After all… they were both alone. But at least the could be alone _together._

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**AN:** Ok peoples! Ty for reading! and btw... you can take the story as you like, it can be Shounen-ai or just strong friendship, whatever you like, I don't care because it's not the point of the story. If you found the dialogue confusing... good, it was meant to be. :)  
  
Referring to the last line...  
Now we have readers split into two groups… the people that understand, and the people who are still confused by the paradox. Then of course, there are the few like me who can see both sides. I just decided to pick one over the other. :)  
  
_"We're all alone, but at least we can be alone together."_  
Not sure if anyone has said this before, but I thought this line up years ago. There are always two responses to it…  
  
**Response 1:** People don't understand it, they get stuck upon the paradox of being alone together, thinking it's impossible. They're the people that would understand it more as something like "not alone anymore." Or "you're never really alone" But I don't think that's true… which is why I chose response number 2.  
  
**Response 2:** People understand it, and embrace it, though it brings both pleasure and pain. They acknowledge that somehow, no matter what they, will always be alone, and that brings pain and a slight feeling of depression. But the fact that they're not alone in this, that others share this pain… it brings joy. Because you know you're not completely alone after all. It's hard to understand… but I think there's more truth in it this way.  
  
If anyone else has some ponderings on the line… or some other good lessons, feel free to e-mail or review and tell me. I'd love to hear peoples opinions, whether it's on the story or my bad attempt at philosophy and explaining myself I don't really care :)  
  
Good luck for the future ppl :)  



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